Monday, March 15, 2004

The Kind Ertzaintza Officer

That was the answer given by the Basque Autonomous Community police officer to the daughter of the dead Kontxi Sanchiz in Hernani when asked for help

Amagoia Mujika – HERNANI (Gipuzkoa)

The Ertzaintza or Basque Autonomous Community police force said in a statement issued yesterday that they were investigating the death of the Hernani-born Kontxi Sanchiz. “An inquiry was begun as soon as the news emerged,” says the statement, but it does not say that when Sanchiz’s daughter Nagore Gonzalez and her friend, Arkaitz Fraile, approached an Ertzaina or police officer for help, they were told, “I couldn’t give a damn”.

Visibly upset, Arkaitz Fraile said yesterday, “When we saw that the ambulance wasn’t coming, we asked an Ertzaina for help and that is how he responded.” The Ertzaintza had told BERRIA that they would “only be issuing a statement and would not be giving any explanations”.

At midday yesterday about 400 people had gathered in Hernani to denounce the killing of Angel Berrueta and the citizens of Hernani were faced with another death. Kontxi Sanchiz died of a heart attack during the protest which led to trouble and in which the Ertzaintza were involved.